HBS Club of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)

Key Achievements

Currently 182 number of Charter Memberships
New Committee lead is appointed
Sector lead for 7 sector is appointed
5 Events conducted– Majlis, Abudhabi Entrepreneurial Event, Think Tank Kuwait, Oman Event, Athar Workshop.
8 Social Events conducted – BBQ Networking Night, International women’s day event, suhoor,3 Hiking, 3 Cycling
Harvard House, central hub for Harvard Graduates in the GCC region to
Shine Program, one-month summer internship for 30+ students in the UAE in 10 companies, representing Sustainability, Food Security, Tech & Innovation sector
Crossroads 2023 Saudi

Key Updates

08

Social
Events

05

Events

02

Monthly
Executive Meetings

01

Board
Meeting

Committee Leads

Tariq Qureishy

Programming Committee Lead

Responsibilities

  • Identify and develop new programs and initiatives.
  • Monitor and evaluate the success of events and provide a detailed report.
  • Develop brochures and content for outreach to potential partners.
  • Plan events and programs to connect with potential members, partners and stakeholders on a monthly base.
  • Prepare a supporting structure to execute programs.
  • Think Tank, Shine, Drive, Majlis and Crossroads: Event planning, outreach, event execution, and monitoring and evaluation.

Key Achievement

  • 5 Events conducted- Majlis, Abudhabi Entrepreneurial Event, Think Tank Kuwait, Oman Event, Athar Workshop.
  • 8 Social Events conducted – BBQ Networking Night, International women’s day event, suhoor, 3 Hiking, 3 Cycling.

Priorities

  • Team and resources alignment.
  • program of initiatives coordinated with countries and industry leads.
  • New matrix needs to be developed.
  • Introduce a new initiative of making HBS Clubs a Program/Content/Knowledge Partner with some of the biggest and most notable events during the year in return for availability of tickets for HBS Club Members, Branding, Marketing opportunity, etc.

Challenges

  • Team and resources coordination and alignment.

Strategy

  • More alignd with sector leads.

Hind Abu Alia

Memberships Committee Lead

Responsibilities

  • Oversee, update, and maintain member database.
  • Outreach for new Memberships.
  • Develop a Membership engagement plan and execute mail chimp and outreach campaigns.
  • Recruit new members, promote and encourage participation in the Association.
  • Ensure that all members have the highest standards of ethics, quality and good personal.
  • They should meet the required conditions and the instructions of the Board of Directors.
  • Recommend to the Board regarding termination of a Membership who fails to comply with the code of conduct and bylaws.

Priorities

  • Develop autorenewal membership subscription with the support of finance team.
  • Develop 1-2 more membership benefits.

Challenges

  • Membership database clean up for optimized communication distribution.
  • Board members becoming charter members-only 3.

Visar Sala

Strategic Partnership Committee Lead

Responsibilities

  • Identify partnerships and sponsorships opportunities.
  • Secure funds for the Association on an annual basis.
  • Develop a sponsorship strategy and roadmap for securing new sponsors, partners and/or in-kind funds for the Association on an annual basis with quarterly updates on progress.

Key Achievement

  • Established a running group with sector leads who coordinate and direct action towards sponsors.
  • First 2 sponsors identified and conversations are at advanced stage.
  • Other potential sponsors have been shortlisted and are being engaged.
  • Sponsorship document has been approved and is being tested with potential sponsors.

Priorities

  • Expand the group of sponsorship volunteers and transform sponsorship into a structured ongoing process.
  • Establish a small group focusing on mega institutional sponsors.

Challenges

  • Mobilization of alumni base as a sponsorship vehicle is still at early stage. We wish we would see more alumni actively supporting.
  • Penetration of chartered members base is still below target.

Waleed Saeed Al Awadhi

Governance Committee Lead

Responsibilities

  • Recommend the nomination of the members of the Committees and the Officers.
  • Evaluate the performance of each of the Committees’ members, the Officers, and the Board members.
  • Ensure that the HBS guidelines and code of conduct is shared with all Board members and implemented across all levels of the Association’s operations.
  • Update the Associations Bylaws and code of conduct.
  • Develop a manual that would be considered as a reference point for the Association’s governance system.
  • Organize awareness sessions for the Association’s Board and Officers which will help introduce them to new guidelines, policies, and procedures.

Key Achievement

  • New bylaw document signed and approved.

Priorities

  • Implementation of the new bylaw.
  • Define KPIs for each committee.
  • Develop a Code of Conduct document for the Club.

Challenges

  • Approval Process delayed.
  • Team/Committee engagement.

Strategy

  •  To create best practices for the HBS Club of the GCC and ensure they are used as a guide across all club activities.

Saleh Lootah

Marketing & Communication Committee Lead

Responsibilities

  • Individual member communication about Association activities.
  • Promoting member content on digital channels.
  • Gathering of feedback from members.
  • Create the annual event calendar.
  • Sign up for new members with payment option.
  • Newsletter updates.
  • Event updates.
  • Sponsorship/partnership options etc.

Key Achievement

  • Club Collateral and branding created and rolled out (Crossroads, LinkedIn Posts, Partnership deck, membership emails, etc).
  • Increased followers and awareness on social media.

Strategy

  • Bi monthly calls with Committee heads to provide input for communication and marketing calendar.
  • Dual language posting.
  • Develop alongside membership committee a monthly newsletter.

Hala Matar Choufany

Country Activation Lead

Responsibilities

  • Individual member communication about Association activities.
  • Promoting member content on digital channels.
  • Gathering of feedback from members.
  • Create the annual event calendar.
  • Sign up for new members with payment option.
  • Newsletter updates.
  • Event updates.
  • Sponsorship/partnership options etc.

Key Achievement

  • Club Collateral and branding created and rolled out (Crossroads, LinkedIn Posts, Partnership deck, membership emails, etc).
  • Increased followers and awareness on social media.

Strategy

  • Bi monthly calls with Committee heads to provide input for communication and marketing calendar.
  • Dual language posting.
  • Develop alongside membership committee a monthly newsletter.

Rohit Dev

Club Relations Lead

Responsibilities

  • Individual member communication about Association activities.
  • Promoting member content on digital channels.
  • Gathering of feedback from members.
  • Create the annual event calendar.
  • Sign up for new members with payment option.
  • Newsletter updates.
  • Event updates.
  • Sponsorship/partnership options etc.

Key Achievement

  • Club Collateral and branding created and rolled out (Crossroads, LinkedIn Posts, Partnership deck, membership emails, etc).
  • Increased followers and awareness on social media.

Strategy

  • Bi monthly calls with Committee heads to provide input for communication and marketing calendar.
  • Dual language posting.
  • Develop alongside membership committee a monthly newsletter.

Faiz Mayalakkara

Finance Lead

Responsibilities

  • Individual member communication about Association activities.
  • Promoting member content on digital channels.
  • Gathering of feedback from members.
  • Create the annual event calendar.
  • Sign up for new members with payment option.
  • Newsletter updates.
  • Event updates.
  • Sponsorship/partnership options etc.

Key Achievement

  • Club Collateral and branding created and rolled out (Crossroads, LinkedIn Posts, Partnership deck, membership emails, etc).
  • Increased followers and awareness on social media.

Strategy

  • Bi monthly calls with Committee heads to provide input for communication and marketing calendar.
  • Dual language posting.
  • Develop alongside membership committee a monthly newsletter.

Country Head Updates

Basma Alfaresi

Kuwait Country Head

Accomplishments

  • Delivering the mission statement of cross roads forum to the Harvard kuwaiti club and further to kuwaiti prominent leaders in private public sectors.
  • Think tank event in Kuwait covering governance and best practices in public sector.

Challenges

  • Lack of resources defined as back office and human capital who would participate in admin work for events. Initiatives future plans:
  • To align gcc board mission to country leads. And aspire to add more personnel to the team.

Thaha Muhammed

Qatar Country Head

Updates and intros to their teams

We have a small team of less than 40 alumni in Qatar, out of which 24 members are active and communicate with each other through a WhatsApp group.

Initiatives completed and planned

  • 3 to 4 physical meetings a year with participation of around 50% of active members usually.
  • Last meet up was the HBS Alumni in Qatar Annual Suhoor.
  • HBS case discussion before June (date to be finalised).
  • Planning to do Think Tank and Majlis regularly.
  • Already in discussion for having a Think Tank event about
    FIFA World Cup.
  • Followed by a Panel Discussion with the alumni members who were associated with the event.
  • Already created a co ordination group with Alumni leaders of other leading B schools and universities, so that we have a good participation.

Resources needed from the club

  • Need regional leaders to visit once in a while and participate in the events. Will plan events based on any visit.
  • Had arranged a meeting when Harvard Business Publishing Team visited here just before World Cup.

RAVI MAHALINGAM

Marketing and Communication

Abdullah Al Ashram

Programme Committee

Lara Sif Hrafnkelsdottir

New Member Affairs

Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Strategic Partnership Affairs

Robert Mikhael

Governance Committee

Maryam Mohamed AlQaseer

Finance Committee

BASMA AHMED SHAIKHAN ALFARSI

Strategic Partnership Affairs